For the past two years, Shell and LEGO have partnered on a global advertising campaign that includes co-branded toys, billboards, celebrity endorsements, videos, and a full-size LEGO Formula One car. More than 16 million Shell-branded LEGO sets have already been sold at gas stations in 26 countries, including Brazil, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Australia. Advocates have privately urged LEGO to stop these promotions—to no avail. LEGO confirms that this egregious partnership will continue.

“Shell is responsible for a significant amount of global carbon emissions. And Shell is now hunting for more oil in one of the world’s last remaining pristine regions: the Arctic. Sea ice in the far north is melting, but rather than see this as a warning sign, Shell sees it as an opportunity to drill for more of the oil that caused the melt in the first place.”
(Courtesy of Greenpeace)

Companies like Shell know all too well that fostering powerful emotional attachments to their brand in childhood is the first step to a lifetime of unquestioning loyalty. That’s one big reason why this partnership is so valuable to Shell. Brand loyal customers are less likely to think critically about a company’s practices and ethics. LEGO shouldn’t aid and abet Shell in its mission to brand children.